Sizzler



Nov. 21, 1961 G. A. THOMAS SIZZLER Filed July 8, 1960 HG. Z /15 IN VENTOR. 660]96 A. 772021145 C'Ziiarneys United States Patent 3,009,379SIZZLER George A. Thomas, 8444 N. Karlov, Skokie, Ill. Filed July 8,1960, Ser. No. 41,665 9 Claims. (Cl. 84402) This invention relates to asizzler and particularly to a sizzler that may be used with a cymbalwithout requiring alteration of the cymbal.

In the use of cymbals as percussion instruments where in they are struckwith sticks or brushes, it is desirable to obtain a sound known as anddescribed as a sizzle." A sizzle is a loose, irregular sound that isdesirably superimposed on the normal sound obtained from a cymbal. Thesizzle sound has been obtained by taping coins loosely on a cymbal sothat they may bounce on the vibrating cymbal and vibrate independentlyat their own unique frequency when the cymbal is struck. The flat discshape of the coin and the presence of the tape, however, tend to dampthe vibrations of the cymbal and alter its own sound.

Special sizzle cymbals are made by drilling holes through ordinarycymbals and placing loose rivets in the holes. This construction changesthe sound of the cymbal so that a different sound is obtained ratherthan a superimposed sizzle and it also requires permanent modificationof the cymbal so that an additional instrument, that is an unmodifiedcymbal, is required when the sizzle is not desired.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sizzler that easilyadapts to existing cymbals and one that may be used without modificationof that cymbal. It is another object of this invention to provide asizzler that may be placed in operation and removed from operationwithout dismantling, and it is another object of this invention toprovide a sizzler that produces a minimum of interference with thenonmal sound of the cymbal with which it is used.

These and other objects are obtained by the sizzler of this invention, aspecific embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top View of a sizzler embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional front view along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a sizzler embodying this invention installedon a cymbal in operating position, and

FIG. 4 is a front view of the sizzler of FIG. 3 in inoperative position.

In the embodiment shown, the sizzler of this invention has a disc-likecentral body portion having a central threaded bore 11. The body section10 is provided with at least one but preferably two or more slots 12which pass entirely through the body section 10 and terminate in adiagonal rear shoulder 13. The slots are oifset and not on radii so thatthe arms that rotate in them will not interfere with each other. A bore15 passes through the edge of the disc with its axis perpendicular tothe wall of the slot 12 and intersecting the slot 12. The bore 15 may bethreaded or otherwise adapted to hold a pivot member 16 which is fixedin the bore 15 to intersect both of the side walls of the slot 12.

A rod 17 having a flattened end portion 18 is connected to the bodysection 10 by inserting the flattened portion 18 in the slot 12 andpassing the pivot member 16 through a hole 30 bored through theflattened portion 18. The rear shoulder 13 is far enough from theterminal portion of the rod 18 so that the rod may rotate around thepivot 16 through an angle of more than 180. The flattened portion 18should be substantially narrower than the width of the slot 12 so thatit is free to rotate with a minimum of resistance.

At the other end of rod 17 is a flattened portion 20 which is flatteneda plane perpendicular to the plane of flattened portion 18. A hole 31 isalso bored through the flattened portion 20 and this hole is adaptedwith a rivet 23 to hold a concave shaped cymbal-engaging member 21 tothe rod 17. The cymbal-engaging member 21 is loosely connected so thatit may rotate and wobble with relation to the rod 17. Thecymbal-engaging member 21, herein shown in a bell or dish shape,terminates in a rim 22 that is adapted to be in contact with the cymbal.

As particularly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the sizzler of this invention isused in combination with a cymbal 25. The cymbal is mountedconventionally on a stand 27 and connected to the stand by passing athreaded projection 26 through a hole 32 in the cymbal. Ordinarily awing nut holds the cymbal to the stand when screwed onto projection 26.In the embodiment shown, the threaded bore 11 takes the place of thewing nut. In operative position, as in FIG. 3, the arms 17 extend andthe rim 22 of each cymbal-engaging member lies upon the upper surface ofthe cymbal 25. The wobbly connection permits the cymbal-engaging member21 to conform to the shape of the cymbal so that the rim 22 is incontact with the surface of the cymbal. Preferably the cymbal-engagingmembers 22 are from about 1 /2" to about 4" from the periphery of thecymbal. It may be seen from FIG. 3 that any cymbal may be employed withthe sizzler of this invention and that no modification of the cymbal isrequired to adapt it for this purpose. In FIG. 4, there is illustrated acymbal having the sizzler of this invention attached to it but ininoperative position. Since the arms 17 may rotate more than around thepivot 16, they may be pushed past the vertical position so that gravityholds them against diagonal wall 13 and maintains them out of contactwith the cymbal 25. Therefore, a musician may employ the sizzler of thisinvention or may use the cymbal without it by simply raising or loweringthe arms 17 past the vertical dead center position.

Although described as dish or bell members, elements equivalent tocymbal-engaging member 21 may have various shapes. It is desirablewithin the scope of this invention that any member used as equivalent tomember 21 be concave so that there is only rim contact between thesizzler and the cymbal, thereby avoiding damping efi'ects that distortthe normal sound of the cymbal.

As hereinbefore stated, the arms 17 are desirably long enough to placethe cymbahcontacting members 21 between l fiz" and 4" from the peripheryof the cymbal 25. It is obvious that the sizzler of this invention maybe used with cymbals of various diameters and it is within thecontemplation of the invention to employ dilferent length arms 17 or toemploy arms 17 that are adjustable in length. Also the body section orhub 10 may have a bore 11 that is not threaded but that is held to thecymbal with other means.

The sizzler of this invention is preferably constructed from aluminum,copper, brass, plastic, magnesium or other suitable material. Arms 17should be as light in weight as possible and may even be tubular to keeptheir weight down. The sizzler arms may be made of steel, particularlywhen used in light-weight cross sections such as flat straps or tubes.The cymbal-engaging members may be made from any of the above mentionedmaterials or any others that are capable of producing a desirable sound.When these members are of steel, brass or copper and constructed in abell shape, they will produce a ringing sound, and when they are 3 ofaluminum, magnesium or plastic they will produce more of a buzzingsound.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A sizzler comprising a body having a bore for attachment to a cymbalsupport stand, said body having a slot-like opening formed therein, saidslot-like opening being defined by sidewalls normal to a planeperpendicular to the axis of said bore, and a backwall, an elongated armloosely pivotally connected between said sidewalls to rotate more than180 in a plane normal to said plane perpendicular to the axis of saidbore, and a cymbal-engaging member, having a concave configuration,loosely connected to pivot and wobble on the opposite end of said arm.

2. A sizzler comprising a body having a threaded bore for attachment toa cymbal support stand, said body having a plurality of slot-likeopenings formed therein, each slot-like opening being defined bysidewalls normal to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said bore, anda backwall, an elongated arm loosely pivotally mounted between thesidewalls of each opening to rotate more than 180 in planes normal tosaid plane perpendicular to the axis of said bore, and a cymbal-engagingmember, having a concave configuration, loosely connected to pivot andwobble on the opposite end of each of said arms.

3. The combination comprising a cymbal supported on a stand, a sizzlerconnected to said stand above said cymbal, said sizzler comprising abody having a bore for attachment to said cymbal support stand, saidbody having a slot-like opening formed therein, said slot-like openingbeing defined by sidewalls normal to the plane perpendicular to the axisof said bore, and a backw all, an elongated arm loosely pivotally heldbetween said sidewalls to rotate more than 180 in a plane normal to saidplane perpendicular to the axis of said bore, and a cymbal-engagingmember, having a concave configuration, loosely connected to pivot andwobble on the opposite end of said arm.

4. The sizzler of claim 1 further characterized in that saidcymbal-engaging member is a bell shaped member connected to said arm ata medial portion thereof.

5. The sizzler of claim 1 further characterized in that the rear wallslopes diagonally so that said side walls are longer at the top than atthe bottom.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 3 further characterized in thatthe rim of said cymbal-engaging member is in contact with said cymbalbetween 1 /2 and 4" from the periphery of said cymbal.

7. A sizzler comprising a body, means for mounting said body in axialrelationship with a cymbal, a cymbal engaging member, an anm having atone end a wobbly connection to said cymbal engaging member, means forpivotally connecting said arm to said body, and said arm connected tosaid pivotal connecting means at the end opposite said cymbal engagingmember freely to rotate in a vertical plane.

8. The sizzler of claim 7 further characterized in that stop meansintercept said arm in a position to limit rotation around said pivot ata point beyond the top dead center position in said vertical plane.

9. In combination, a centrally suspended cymbal, a sizzler comprising abody mounted axially with said cymbal, a cymbal engaging member, an armhaving at one end a wobbly connection to said cymbal engaging member,means for pivotally connecting said arm to said body, and said armconnected to said means freely to rot-ate in a vertical plane from anoperative position in which it holds said cymbal engaging member incontact with said cymbal, to an inoperative position which is past topdead center in said vertical plane, and stop means to engage said armand hold it in said inoperative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS922,706 Ludwig May 25, 1909 1,362,271 Stathopoulos Dec. 14, 19202,417,972 DArcy Mar. 25, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 591,800 Great Britain Aug.28, 1947 165,677 Sweden Dec. 16, 1958

